Meta Tries to Limit Evidence in Child Safety Trial Over Online Exploitation

Santa Fe: Meta is going to trial in New Mexico. The company is accused of not doing enough to protect kids from online dangers. As the trial date gets closer, Meta’s lawyers are trying to limit evidence against the company.

According to records reviewed by Wired, Meta wants to stop research about how social media affects kids’ mental health. They also want to block stories about teen suicides linked to social media, details about their finances, previous privacy issues, and even things about CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s college life.

This lawsuit started in late 2023. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez says Meta did not protect minors from online threats like predators and sexual abuse. The lawsuit claims the company let inappropriate material reach kids and didn’t set up enough safety measures.

This case is important because it’s the first trial like this at the state level. It is set to begin on February 2. While it’s normal for companies like Meta to narrow the focus of a trial, some legal experts say Meta’s efforts to exclude information are surprisingly broad. They even want to avoid talking about their AI chatbots.

Meta also asked the court not to mention a public health warning from former U.S. surgeon general Vivek Murthy about how social media affects kids’ mental health. They don’t want surveys about inappropriate content on their platforms brought into the trial either. Meta argues this information is not relevant or could unfairly influence the jury.